Residents wary of new housing at Westborough State Hospital site

Residents and officials last night said they worry that three plans to reuse the 75-acre Westborough State Hospital site rely too heavily on the construction of homes.

Kelleigh Welch/Daily News staff

Residents and officials last night said they worry that three plans to reuse the 75-acre Westborough State Hospital site rely too heavily on the construction of homes.

The Westborough State Hospital Reuse Commission, created to review the existing site that crosses the Northborough and Westborough line and consider options for its future, held the first of many planned public hearings last night, allowing residents to comment on the proposals.

"I was very disappointed with the emphasis of residential property," said selectmen Chairman Rod Jane.

He said he would like a lot of property to stay undeveloped so the public can enjoy its natural state.

Last night, about 50 people crowded a meeting room at the Forbes Municipal Building to let officials know what they would like to see happen to the hospital grounds.

Representatives of Sasaki Associates Inc. and GLC Development Resources showed the same three concepts for the site that the commission had seen in an open meeting last month, and suggested turning the site into a mix-used community with townhouses, apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and a dock on the north end of Lake Chauncy.

But many residents last night felt that those plans are weighted too heavily toward residential development, with over 300 units in each plan. That, they said, could hurt the town.

Resident Andrew Koenibsberg said he worries all those new homes would overburden the school district.

School Superintendent Marianne O'Connor said she has the same fear.

"The K-3 schools are already filled to capacity," said O'Connor. "Our preschool program is also growing exponentially and we need to put them somewhere."

Traffic would get worse from school buses that would be needed to accommodate the new development.

Other comments focused on the preservation of the open space that already exists.

Sue Abladian, a member of the Westborough Community Land Trust, said she felt preserving open space for the public should be a top priority.

"That, to me, would increase the values of the homes and residents could still enjoy it," Abladian said.

Selectman Jane said he would like to see more open space near the lake, and more commercial development on the north side of the property.

"I think it would be ideal to have office and lab space (in the historical buildings)," said Jane.

Fred Merrill of Sasaki Associates said redeveloping the property could pose a threat to the environment. Since the concepts are only suggestions, a study would be done once a definite plan is brought forward, he said. A similar study would be done for traffic, he said.

Resident Don Burn pointed out that the intersection of Rte. 9 and Lyman Street is one of the most dangerous in town, and the increase in traffic could make it worse.

Resident Gary Wittman said Lyman Street is also dangerous, as it does not have sidewalks and is an access road for large trucks from Rte. 9 to Northborough.

Town Planner Jim Robbins told residents that the town has little say in how the property is developed because the land is state-owned.

"It's hard for me to reconcile that this is not the town's property," said Robbins.

State Rep. George Peterson, R-Grafton, said that the presentation shows only suggestions for the site, and that the state must first wait to see if a private agency would want to purchase the site for reuse.

"It could be years before a developer comes in," Peterson said.

Due to the number of questions asked by residents, the commission ended the meeting without going over the fiscal impact the reuse proposals would have on the town. They will continue their presentation at another public hearing to be announced.

(Kelleigh Welch can be reached at 508-490-7475 or kwelch@wickedlocal.com.)

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